Coming Home
by melinda08
Summary: Set in I do adieu. What Sam and Diane have been up to that leads them back to each other. Collaboration with Markaleen.


_with much appreciation to my co-author markaleen_

Sumner had returned. He told Diane that he had been looking through Diane's writing. It had shocked him to find out that she was engaged to Sam. He had found one of her unfinished novels and sent it to a publisher. The publisher thought that it could be published—of course, that meant she had to finish it. Sumner offered to let her stay in his cabin in Maine to finish it. At first, Diane wasn't sure. She was about to marry Sam. The love of her life. How could she just leave him? They were just about to start a new life together, but it was also her dream to be published. She did some hard thinking and chose to marry Sam.

In the middle of Sam and Diane's wedding. The phone rang for Diane. Woody said that they publisher was going to publish Diane's book and were giving her six months to finish it. Diane was so excited but she was seconds away from being married. When it came time for her, "I Do." She stuttered a bit; all she could think at that moment was that she would be published. She eventually said it, but Sam stopped her. He couldn't let her pass up this opportunity. She had to finish the book. So Diane said she would be back in six months with a published book.

Sam had gotten drunk, so very drunk. Not quite drunk enough to erase the memory of her off of his mind, but still, drunk. She was known as that woman, the unmentionable, the unthinkable. She was the little black raincloud that followed him wherever he went, and he did go far to try to escape her. "Don't do it Sam," everyone said when he said he was selling the bar. "You'll regret it, they told him when he said he was trading in the life he knew for one of a carefree bachelor, sailing around the world. The problem was he was not carefree, and everyone knew it but him, for denial was a great co-captain. So he left her behind and his friends as well and set sail for parts unknown, never to be heard from again if he had his way.

Problem was it didn't work that way. Months later his boat sank and he came back to the only home he'd ever known. Only Cheers wasn't Cheers anymore. The regulars weren't regulars anymore. Even Norm wasn't there anymore. Still he knew what he had to do. He was a proud man but he wasn't above begging for his job back. And if that didn't work a little scheming might work with a little help from his ffriends might do the trick. And so Sam was back, a stranger in his own home.

And it worked out nicely. Slowly the regulars came back, and Sam's spirit lifted. He even enjoyed chasing the bar's manager Rebecca around, though his heart wasn't in it. But it was still fun, and he slowly regained the spring in his step. Everyone was thrilled to have their Sammy back, until the day she walked back through the door.

All eyes were on her, as they wondered what she wanted. She carried nothing to indicate whether she was coming or going. She said nothing as she waited for Sam to say the first word. Even Rebecca sensed who she was and held her breath waiting for someone to make the first move.

"Diane," Sam said finally.

"Sam. It's good to see you. How are you?"

"Couldn't be better."

"Could we go somewhere in private?" Diane asked.

Rebecca nodded and so they went to her office.

"Oh Sam, where do I begin? It's hard for me to see you like this.."

"Stop it. I don't want your pity. I happen to like my life very much," he insisted.

"Of course. I never meant anything by that. I meant it's hard for me to see you without you taking me into your arms and kissing me, the way you would have the last time you saw me."

"Yeah well a lot has changed."

"It's my fault. I stayed gone too long. I've missed you for way too long. Sam I never stopped thinking about you and I surely never stopped loving you. I know you must find that hard to believe but it's true. It's taken me a lot to find my way back here but I would be remiss if I didn't come back here and find out if you didn't feel the same way," Diane wondered

Sam said nothing. So Diane turned to walk away from her one true love forever, a broken woman. But Sam knew that he couldn't lose the love of his life a second time and live with himself.

"Wait,"he commanded.

.

"Yes Sam?"

"God help me but I'm as crazy about you as I ever was. The minute you walked in here I knew that you were the only one for me. You drive me crazy and you make me so mad I can't see straight but there's no one I can imagine spending the rest of the rest of my life with but you," Sam sighed.

"Does this mean..."

"Yes Diane I want to pick up where we left off. Diane Chambers will you marry me?"

More thrilled than she could ever imagine, and even though she had been proposed to many times before, Diane knew that this time meant something to the both of them. It wasn't on the rebound and it wasn't under duress. He asked her because he wanted to, and there was no way she could say no. This time it felt right..

.

"Yes Sam. I will marry you," Diane smiled.

And that fall they were married. Sam eventually got Cheers back though it took some time and he finally had everything he ever wanted. He knew that somewhere, somehow, Coach would be so proud. He finally got it right.

The end


End file.
